A big welcome today to Alina Popescu as part of her blog tour with Eyes on Books for Angel’s Feather.

Angel’s Feather and the Not So Clear Path to Inspiration
Usually, I find it easier to say what inspired a story. If it was an event, or a character that sprung to mind, or a situation I wanted to explore, I can pinpoint it. Angel’s Feather… well, that was a different kind of story. It was really a mix of things that together sprung this idea.

At first, it started with my often waning hope for humanity. I feel like we have this tendency to ignore our past, especially when it comes to our mistakes. As we all know, when that happens, we repeat the same mistakes and it never takes us to some bright future. There are dark spots on humanity’s past, like the Holocaust, that, to my undying hope, we will never forget. At least not in the West. Others, though, just as brutal and horrifying, seem forgotten or ignored.

I thought that if I wrote a world where we repeated all our mistakes until the entire universe decided to banish us and leave us to our own devices, it might help me deal with my fears and disappointments. And maybe some light bulb would do its thing in someone’s mind, which would make it a win.

While that explains the setting and dark future I envisioned for humanity, the characters are a whole different story. First, the flyers. Guardian angels and cupids are ever present in their current cute depiction. But angels were also warriors, punishers, and enforcers. I wondered what that would look like in a sci-fi universe where angel-like beings are humanity’s jailors. How would people deal with their collective knowledge of angels and the huge splash of cold water reality would force them to face.

Another layer I wanted to explore was that of angels falling, and humans falling alongside them. So this turned out into human-flyer relationship with little to no chance of bringing anything but heartbreak and despair to both characters. At the same time, I was having my own existential crises and a lot of my reading led me to the conclusion even the purest of beings have demons to fight. Inner demons for most of us.

Add a bit of mystery and magic on top of all of that, and you get my inspiration for this gay science fiction book. I do know there are layers to all stories and what inspires them, but in this particular case, it truly felt like it was born from a lot of things that I’d been thinking of for ages. What was left of that mess, I went and turned into my angel tattoo He’s also fighting his demons!

Angel’s Feather Synopsis

How far would you go for the one you love? How much of yourself would you sacrifice?

Trapped on a decaying Earth and cut off from the rest of the Universe, humans are no longer allowed to leave their planet. Break this one law and you die: a penalty enforced by flyers, aliens who look like angels of long-lost religions. Michael, the flyers’ leader, is the Punisher who carries out every public execution.

Adam, a young human with near-perfect memory, is committed to rebuilding Earth and a true believer in the flyers’ dominion. While Adam’s support for flyers isn’t a secret, his deep love for Michael is. Not even Michael knows, for his kind never take human lovers, and to Adam, they are too far above him to reach.

In his broken and unwelcoming world, Adam’s love can only lead to pain, loss, and disaster. Yet there is no force in the huge expanse of stars and galaxies that can stop Adam from following Michael to the end of existence. Not even Adam’s own beliefs.

Excerpt

My enthusiasm at seeing Michael again quickly faded when he arrived. He seemed cold, uncaring. There was no trace of feeling in his eyes, no expression on his beautiful face. He wore his usual leather trousers that I was sure he had to cut off his body to undress. The new addition was a metallic looking… something. It looked like a sleeveless shirt or some sort of body armor, but it kept me from seeing his strong upper body and watch the stray rays of sunshine reflected by his glorious skin.

All in all, he looked like a true warrior, a right enforcer. And did he ever act like one! Michael had never been a man of many words, but he was eerily silent this time. He did not offer a glance or a word to anyone. Even when it came to the other flyers, he only communicated through mysterious nods and gestures. To make it worse, two of the other flyers that had come with him, the ones who had taken over his patrolling duties, were stabbing me with their glares. He’d told them? Or maybe they’d figured out his mood had soured after coming to see me…

Either way, not seeing Michael was a lot easier than having him ignore me like this. With a deep sigh, I turned around and made to leave, but one of the other flyers stopped me.

“Where do you think you’re going? Everyone healthy and able is required to attend the executions.”

I slapped his hand away and then pressed my palm to his naked chest, pushing him back. The crowd around me gasped in unison, then went deadly silent.

“What is the point, angel? I’ll just watch your broadcast later. They never learn, nothing changes. There will be another execution soon enough.”

I left the village square without ever looking back. I heard the flyer calling my name once, but for some reason he did not try to stop me again, nor did he say anything else. I went straight back home, trying to keep myself together until I was safely hidden away in my room. I could not afford to fall apart out in the open, I couldn’t have any of the other villagers see me like that, see how weak I truly was.

Giveaway

About the author

Writer, traveler, and coffee addict, Alina Popescu has been in love with books all her life. She started writing when she was ten and she has always been drawn to sci-fi, fantasy, and the supernatural realm. Born and raised in Romania, she finds her inspiration in books of all genres, in movies, and the occasional manga comic book. She is a proud geek who needs her fast Internet and gadgets more than she needs air.

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About Anne Barwell

Anne Barwell lives in Wellington, New Zealand. She shares her home with two cats who are convinced that the house is run to suit them; this is an ongoing “discussion,” and to date it appears as though the cats may be winning.
In 2008 she completed her conjoint BA in English Literature and Music/Bachelor of Teaching. She has worked as a music teacher and a primary school teacher, and now works in a library. She is a member of the Upper Hutt Science Fiction Club and plays violin for Hutt Valley Orchestra.
She is an avid reader across a wide range of genres and a watcher of far too many TV series and movies, although it can be argued that there is no such thing as “too many.” These, of course, are best enjoyed with a decent cup of tea and further the continuing argument that the concept of “spare time” is really just a myth. She also hosts other authors, reviews for the GLBTQ Historical Site “Our Story” and Top2Bottom Reviews, and writes monthly blog posts for Authors Speak and Love Bytes.
Anne’s books have received honorable mentions four times and reached the finals three times in the Rainbow Awards. She has also been nominated twice in the Goodreads M/M Romance Reader’s Choice Awards—once for Best Fantasy and once for Best Historical.
Anne can be found at https://annebarwell.wordpress.com